Dirty Holidaze
It’s no secret that December is the darkest and spookiest month. It is by far also the booziest. The overwhelming joy one often associates with the Christmas frenzy increases the
The Bewitching Hours Before Christmas
Just the other day, Ingimundur the electrician told me he has regular contact with a vegetable vendor who lived in 1732 during the bubonic plague in London. Þorvaldur the mechanic
The Case of the Missing Ambassador
Without a sitting ambassador the halls of the US Embassy in Reykjavík aren’t as glamorous as they once were; the light doesn’t reflect as brilliantly off the windows and even
Where Is Iceland Heading?
When I told my friends I was moving to Iceland, none of them could think of a good reason for me to choose it over other Europe nations. The name […]
Taxi Driver: Xmas Edition!
Like a child of poor, alcoholic and abusive parents, Taxi driver man fears the coming holidays. Ikea is rolling out the consum….ehhh, Christmas Spirit earl
Iceland Reaches the Top Ten Countries of the Misery Index
For the first time, Iceland has finally broken the top ten of Moody’s “Misery Index”. The Misery Index used to measure a country’s rates of unemployment and
Internet: Still Serious Business
A wave of about 100 phony signatures onto an online anti-Icesave petition prompted calls for investigation from one member of parliament, as some of the spamming came from the IP [
IMF Rep Calls Conservative Tax Plan Bad Idea
Mark Flanagan, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) representative to Iceland, advised against a tax plan devised by members of the Independence Party. The conservatives suggest t
Stuff We Like!
We like comedy and laughing. Good thing there’s a stand-up comedy festival in town, and some of it is in English. Long may we laugh. Yup. Stand-up comedy, with a […]
IMF: Situation in Iceland “Better Than Expected”
The economic situation in Iceland is better than representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) originally expected, RÚV reports. The recession is lighter, and the amo
Anti-Icesave Petition Culls Nearly 34,000
Nearly 34,000 Icelanders – roughly 10% of the population – have signed an online petition asking the Icelandic president to veto the Icesave bill, if it passes. Organiz
Mark Flanagan Misquoted by Local Newspaper
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) representative to Iceland, Mark Flanagan, told reporters that his words were taken out of context by a local newspaper, who quoted him
Santa’s Best Helper
Going home from Iceland for Christmas? Visiting Iceland over the holidays and looking for presents to bring home? Worry no longer, Grapevine is here to help. 1. For the music [&hel
The Least Obnoxious Xmas Music – Ever
Christmas music is painful at best. Except it is actually Christmas—plus/minus a week. Hearing absolutely horrible songs like the Icelandic version of Wizzard’s I Wish It Could
Pulling Teeth…
So, by some bizarre paradox it’s Friday the 13th and it’s as I’m riding a weird and monstrous cloud of joy. Then, amassed aural forces conspire to destroy me. In [&hellip
Stuffing the Stuffing
Grapevine’s Sari Peltonen tucks into the Icelandic Christmas tradition of Christmas Buffet. Rule one: Stuff yourself silly. Around us, there are families, young couples and a tab
The Jólabókaflóð
You might not have heard of it, but Iceland has a yearly flood. It’s not like the monsoon where the streets are overrun with water and mud. No, this is […]
Our Murderous Fences
In twenty years, Iceland has granted four persons asylum—out of 500 applicants. Under ten percent of asylum claims are solved with a residence permit for humanitarian reasons. Th
It’s Not What You Can Do about the Crisis, but What the Crisis Can Do for You
Utter the words “Icelandic Forest” in a crowd of Icelanders and you’re sure to hear a chuckle, a resigned, self-deprecating remark, or even one of the country’s old
How to Conduct Your Icelandic Christmas
Even though most Western nations are by all accounts becoming more mind-numbingly culturally uniform by the minute, there are still some vast regional differences as to how we go a
Who’s Got The Power?
While gender equality is progressing within Nordic politics, one problem that has not been solved is the lack of women in top positions within business and industry. &